


ashes, cold in moonlight

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Cinderella (Fairy Tale), Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Future Fic, Nightmares, References to Previous Child Abuse, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 19:59:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7654672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Well into their so-called happily ever after, Cinderella still has nightmares about the viciousness of her upbringing with her abusive stepmother and stepsisters. Prince's POV.</p><p>Warnings for vague references to previous child abuse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	ashes, cold in moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> For comment-fic for the prompt: Cinderella/prince, her coming to terms with her abusive past

After a nightmare, she never screams. She sits up and covers her face with her arms, wrenching in silent tears. He reaches out to touch her, but she runs, always.

Until tonight, he has not followed fast enough to see where she goes.

He finds her in one of the old unused wings of the palace, kneeling in the fireplace, her fingers grasping at ashes. It fills him with anger, with a brutal need to demand answers. _What did they do to you?_

He knows, though, that this is not his place. 

(He asked his mother once, _Why does my wife not tell me her secrets?_ The queen stroked his cheek and said, _Because men cannot bear to live with the things that women can.)_

He approaches slowly. Like he's hunting in the woods, and she is dangerous prey, and as soon as he thinks it he despises himself for the thought.

He kneels next to her, landing in cold cinders, and holds out his hand. He waits. 

She looks him in the eye finally. "When we first met, I think I only loved you because you could save me," she tells him.

Before his heart can snap, she adds, "But now, I love you with all my heart. I love you too much to let you save me night after night."

"You want me to leave you be? Leave you sitting in ashes and memory and pain all night while I go to my comfortable bed?"

She looks down. "I don't come here to remember what was. I come here to remember that I'm never going back."

"I see."

She grabs his hand, finally. "I am well enough. Go back to bed, my love."

His instinct is to stay, to kiss her, to hold her, to carry her to somewhere safe and warm. But he senses, too, that he is not welcome to. 

He lets go of her hand, stands. He brushes the ashes off his knees and walks to the door. As he heads into the hallway toward their bedchamber, he looks back and says, "I will wait for you." He doesn't just mean tonight.

She smiles, heartbreaking. "I know."


End file.
